Monday Night FISA Weekly 7

Posted Mon Dec 10, 2012 - 12:55 PM

Week 7 appeared to be a repeat of Week 6. 300FC has become your average football club, Titans can’t assemble a squad to compete, Strikers proved that they can win and Gate 13 catapulted to the top of the table.

The Titans were missing their captain and like old saying goes “when the cats away the mice play”. Which is exactly what happened as the short handed Titans got their tushes handed to them by the first place Gate 13. Chatz decided that catching some zzz’s was more important than the first half and Vavouleas had just arrived from his European trip where he couldn’t attract the attention of any top flight clubs. Paolo, Tony and the clan did their best to hold off the hungry Greens that looked incredible without Dimitri who tends to instill a fear into players that supersedes their ability to be good
footballers. Clearly, Dimitri doesn’t follow the velvet glove and iron fist management philosophy as he opts to just use an iron fist. The changes on Monday paid dividends as Kosta and Lazo teamed up and played like they were 8 feet tall and managed to score some big goals for the club. It’ll be interesting to see how the return of Dimitri impact’s the team and their psyche.

It’s not all bad news for the Titans as the front office has announced that Ted Vavouleas is expected to return December 17th. The question is, will he be 100%.

The Strikers played like they had nothing to lose on Monday and did Gate 13 a service by handing 300FC their second consecutive loss and denying them any points. Stathi managed to be play one of his best games of the season at a time where it was most necessary and the rest of the Strikers did the same. Stathi Sotiropoulos had a solid game between the pipes making some key saves to keep 300FC from mounting a comeback. Some big time conversions from Seb and Irfan put the nail in coffin.

Week 8 will be a good barometer to see if 300FC can overcome adversity and adjust to get back to their winning ways.

Monday Night FISA Weekly 6

Posted Mon Dec 03, 2012 - 10:13 AM

Week 6 was the week of first’s, the first time the Strikers put up a win and the first time 300FC familiarizes with the loss column. FISA seems to have reached team parity as each team seems capable of being a contender.

The Titans clearly were missing George Vavouleas who is still exploring options in Europe but undoubtedly are missing their number one net minder who has left an abyss like hole in the roster. Matthew (James) Franco has a stellar performance despite the score line by shutting down Stathi a number of times but was unable to close down Elias Sotirakos who has no doubt got his bounce back. “I feel good and nimble this year, I’ve knocked a few pounds off my muffin and I’m definitely more agile” adds Elias.

It appears that the Strikers goal keeper is over the Skandunckers tongue lashing and was reportedly seen out in Yorkville having breakfast pregame last week. Team owner Sebastian had also joined the two. No reports as to what was said but you can be sure that it was conciliatory as Stathi and Steve had a great outing.

Gate 13 is coming to form demonstrating that soccer intelligence and soccer sense can out power speed. The short handed 300FC were playing without their fireless leader Trougakos who seemingly is more important to the squad than many thought. You can see Jonathan looking for Steve at times but the only Steve he had available was” the Baker”. Jonathan’s frustration mounted into the ladder part of the game as Gate 13 converged on him leaving him little room to maneuver and create the opportunities we’re use to seeing.

The question going into Week 7 is which teams will show up. Are the Strikers for real or was the win an anomaly. Will the Titans have George back to bolster the line up and take pressure off of players who have taken on more than they can handle. Will Gate 13 continue to show that they are a team that gets better as the season gets older or will Dimitri Floros’s absence leave a void in the Roster that even the 2 big men (Lazo & Kosta) can’t fill? Finally, will 300FC bounce back and show that they are still the favourite to win league champs or will they go down like the Battle of Thermopylae and be slaughtered by the Strikers.

Commissioner Note !!!! READ IT.. ITS IMPORTANT !!!

Posted Thu Nov 08, 2012 - 05:04 AM

Guys,

I want to reiterate a few points that are apparently being missed by some players (new players as well as veterens)

This is (above all else) a fun league, and for the most part everybody is friends/koubaroi/cousins etc.. with everybody in the leage. This is why we do not have refs, this is why we ease up a bit, this is why we (should) shake a hand, have a laugh and maybe a beer or two after the game. Its all in good fun.

This is not a league to win at all costs, to let tempers go, to go in hard on another player because you think you are in the champions league, to pull jerseys etc.... If this continues, you will not be asked back next year.

We have dispute refs, to settle disputes and their call is final; RIGHT OR WRONG. If you disagree with a call keep the chirping to yourself, this isnt the place for it.

There is a lot of soccer left to play, so lets have some fun. We have a great goal scoring race heating up, we have some pretty even games, we have a stats website (Thanks to the Pontio Laz)

Please take this seriously.

See you all on Monday.

FISA Commissioners Office

Monday Night Fisa Weekly 3

Posted Sun Nov 04, 2012 - 10:33 AM

Week 2 was loaded with excitement, controversy and slight indications of which teams may reign supreme and which teams don’t stand a chance. Even the horrific Hurricane Sandy couldn’t postpone week 2 which played out to be a week of epic proportions. Strikers came out as their usual lazy selves and put together a dismal first half that only saw 3 shots on target. Gate 13 did a wonderful job containing the squad that played without the fierce duo (Seb & Steve) from the North who were caught flooded in by Sandy. The second half was a bit better but it’s fair to say that the 0-2 Strikers could face relegation should they continue playing as they have. A late penalty call by Elias was overlooked by the officiating which was a common theme in Week 2 and will be articulated on in the latter.

The match that was dubbed “prime time” featuring the 2 undefeated clubs was exactly what the doctor ordered for any footy fan. The match went from zero to mach one in seconds with goals a plenty and testosterone exploding like the 4th of July. Jonathan took advantage of a helpless Tommy Terzakis who played between the pipes for the first time and hopefully the last. His four goals were barely worthy of an award at a kids camp but enough to catapult his to the top of the top scorers list. With Steve Trougakos out, the team seemed to be more fluid with better utilization of the rest of the squad. Greg and Dave were kept of the score sheet but at times seemed intent on scoring the big goal.

The Titans demonstrated that a great team is a balanced team and once again showed the soccer world that scoring can come from anywhere and from whomever on their squad. Getting scoring and ferocity from George Vavouleas will clearly extricate him from the massive shadow that his older brother Fergie cast upon him. George this year is an all round machine that’s determined to leave his mark and push him to the top of the league leaders. “I’m happy with how I’m playing and hope to share spot 1 and 2 with Chatz at the end of this season regardless of what spot I occupy. I know players think I play with too much energy and physicality but that’s my style and if they don’t like it they can stay out of the way.”

Inevitably, having Aleer protecting the net would have tilted this game the other way but it was final goal and the decision by the unofficial referee that decided this result. George once again mired in the controversy called a foul that Steve Trougakos felt was a 50/50 ball. The call after league review but the bigger question was why Dimitri Floros who was the designated referee had left at half time to fill his face with a 2 cheese and shrimp flambé washed down with 2 Heinekens.
The leagues upper brass is going to need to take a good look at the policy and FISA laws if it stands a chance of running a structure league.

Monday Night Fisa Weekly 2

Posted Sat Oct 27, 2012 - 06:18 AM

The cannons went off in Week 1 and both matches proved to be exciting contests that set the tone for what’s to come. Titans proved that they’re the real deal and that Sotirakos can assemble a Championship team. After the game Sotirakos said “it’s nice to know that we’ve got balance on our team and that we’re able to score goals without having to rely on James”. James has come off a record breaking season and at times appeared as though he was walking on water even in spite of only netting one. “I want to be a different player this year” says James, “I want to play a more intricate part in playmaking”. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that he may get the golden boot again this year even though he’s shifting his playing style unless his play takes a turn for the worse. Gate 13 put in a lack luster performance but clearly has other issues that span beyond their ability to compete. Team owner and Captain Dimitri really had a problem keeping his teams’ spirits, composure and morale in check. Consequently the player tempers started to flair and clearly reflected in how the team performed. On paper, this is a team stacked with football talent but attitude is an essential part of greatness and this team is going to have to dig deep into their souls to get motivated.

300FC showed why they were last year’s champions by taking advantage of the 15 minute mental lapse that the Strikers had. Michaels disappointed as it appeared at times that he was playing with 2 left feet. If the Strikers stand a chance this year, Sotiropoulos is going to have to protect the net better and everyone else around him is going to have to play 2 full half’s of solid football. Sebastian said after the game that he thought everyone played relatively well however was disappointed with the effort put in my some players at times. “I’m going to use tonight as an opportunity to evaluate our shortcomings and sit down with each player and discuss their individual performance and how we can improve upon our collective efforts”. It’s no wonder Sebastian’s squads have always performed well as he imparts a winning attitude on players and shows that he cares about the club he bought 4 years ago. 300FC managed to hold on to the 4-3 victory but Trougakos and clan looked frazzled at times. Jonathan’s frustration was evidently clear after several passes failed to hit the target as he familiarizes himself with 300FC’s playing style.
Trougakos is convinced that Fergy and Jonathan will integrate into the team’s style and philosophy and begin to mesh with last year’s squad.
The baker hasn’t missed a beat by calling balls out from the other side of the field. The “BAKER RULE” was in full effect and enforced several times throughout the match.